The Moovers [2023] - One Little Dance + Someone To Fulfill My Needs / I Love You Baby [Hit And Run #HR 1554]

Two new vinyl releases this week from Garry J Cape's Hit And Run label. The first consists of all three released recordings by Miami group The Moovers. 

All songs were released on Johnny Pearsall and Willie Clarke's Deep City, "One Little Dance" / "Someone To Fulfill My Needs" in 1966 and "I Love You Baby" flipped with "One Little Dance" (also released on Brent) in 1967. 

They were included on a Numero Group label compilation "Eccentric Soul: Deep City Label" in 2006 along with an instrumental version of "I Love You Baby" and an unreleased acetate recording of "Darling I'll Go" vocal and instrumental.

Pearsall and Clarke are evident on writing credits for the songs along with Clarence 'Blowfly' Reid on the second track and Arnold Albury on the third. Deep City was Miami's first black owned record company and was the forerunner to T.K..

If you wondered what happened to the group, they changed their name to The Prolifics and released a single "If Only I Could Fly" (a deep soul cut) on Drive in 1968 which was released with two different B sides: "Keep On Raining Rain" (similar feel to Temptations "I Wish It Would Rain") and "I Don’t Need No Help" which is a hard one to find.

In the 70s they recorded two Paul Kelly songs as Living Proof "Movie Queen" / "Visions Of You (Dancin' In My Mind)" released on United Artists in 1979.

Available now via Paypal – hitandrunsoul45@gmail.com (friends and family).

£15 each + £3 UK postage (good for 1-3 records) OVERSEAS - please pm for current postage rates.

Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Soul Group Harmony
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Hit And Run
Cat No:	HR 1544
Date:	17/09/2023
Key/BPM:	11A/113 / 7A/97 // 10A/80
Price:	£15

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds [2022] - Get Down / Love-Itis [Numero Group #5747]

A Numero Group digital reissue of two sides by Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds released on Magic Touch in 1967.

The group was formed in Milwaukee in 1961 by Harvey Scales and  Albert Vance.  In addition to Vance who was bassist and bandleader, The Seven Sounds were Rudolph Jacobs (guitar), Bill Stonewall (drums), with a horn section of Monnie Smith (trumpet), Bill Purtie (bari sax),  Ray Armstead (tenor sax) and Mel Taylor (tenor sax). They released around a dozen singles under this name between 1962-72, and some as The Seven Seas, with Scales himself releasing several more billed as a solo artist, so whether or not the group was still backing him I don't know. 

Scales & Vance's biggest claim to fame is for writing Johnnie Taylor's 1976 #1 hit "Disco Lady" which was the very first platinum selling record in RIAA history. Scales was also a member of The Esquires ("Get On Up" fame) for a short period who also originated in Milwaukee, initially based around the Moorer family Betty, Gilbert, Alvis and Perry, before relocating to Chicago where they went to audition for Curtis Mayfield but ended up with signing to Bill 'Bunky' Sheppard's Bunky Records (which succeeded Constellation after it closed down in 1966) and hit with their first single "Get On Up" in 1967 (#3 R&B / #11 Hot 100).

The single "Get Down" / "Love-Itis" was their only hit reaching #32 R&B. "Love-Itis" was covered by The J Geils Band in 1975.

Scales is possibly best known in modern soul circles for his album only track "Universal Love" (co-written with Melvin Griffin) from his 1978 "Confidential Affair" album on Casablanca also recorded as a single the same year by Z.Z. Hill on Columbia.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / 60s soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Numero Group
Cat No:	5747
Date:	01/11/2022
Key/BPM:	8B/112 / 3A/152
Price:	£1.79

Copyright © 2009-2022 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

James Foster [2022] - Distant Lover 2022 Mix [Self Released]

I can't find much information about James Foster, but he originally recorded a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Distant Lover" ("Let's Get It On" 1973) in 2017 and today (13 Mar 2022) has released a 2022 Mix. I've posted both versions as, to be honest, I can't really hear any significant difference.

I did find a video for it which premiered on YouTube on Christmas Eve 2021 where his name is given as James Nelson Foster. The same video has been posted on another channel on 11 Mar which gives a little more info stating that: James Foster has appeared as an opening act for legendary artists such as the Temptations, The Whispers and The Manhattans. He is currently singing around Baltimore while writing and recording his own original material.

He has an excellent voice and a similar timbre to the great Marvin Gaye who he has been compared to on numerous occasions.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul / Cover Version / Remix
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	13/03/2022
Key/BPM:	12A/99
Value:	£1

VA [2021] - Lost in Sound - Rare Soul & Funk Essentials [Perpetual Records] (Full Album)

There's been a run on retro sounds, reissues and compilations this week. Here's another which is a bit of a mixed bag of genres/styles.  "Lost in Sound - Rare Soul & Funk Essentials" is a compilation of rare soul and funk from the 70s. and is is available digitally and on vinyl and was released last Friday (10 Sep 2021).

It kicks off with a popcorn tune "I'm Moving On" from Chyvonne Scott released in 1963 on Alto which now fetches up to £150. Then comes an album only cut from Gloria Barnes from her 1971 Uptown LP which would cost you four figures to acquire on the original album.

We are then introduced to the first funk track which is actually more jazz/funk from Ray & His Courts first released on a Sound Triangle 45 in 1973 which is essentially an instrumental with some early rapping/spoken word over the top. This is followed by another funk tune from 1970 by L.J. Waiters released on Unity. "Afro Funky" speaks for itself from Cuban latin/jazz artist Manteca from a 1978 album "Ritmo Y Sabor".

Next up is a deep soul tune with a funky under current from 1968 by Nat Phillips released as a flip side on Bru-Cel. Then follows another from the same Maple stable as Gloria Barnes by The Chosen Few. "Something Bad" is a 1971 album only track as The Chosen Few but they recorded it two years earlier in 1969 on a Blue Rock 45 as The Adventurers which is a different (better) take.

We then get the Northern Soul 'evergreen' from Al Scott aka Mr Soul, as it was released as Al Scott on white label (demo?) and then as Mr Soul on black issue, on Genuine in 1966, the latter is the more sought after fetching well into four figures nowadays. 

Some latin soul from Luis Santi & His Ensembe (Luis Santi Y Su Conjunto) follows with another album only track from his 1975 LP "El Bigote".

More raw deep soul from Lee Moses, which again is an album only cut from his only LP "Time and Place" from 1971.

A modern Northern Soul favourite from ex Magictones and Undisputed Truth member Tyrone Barkley with his only solo single from 1979 is up next. The compilation closes with a funk track from the highly sought after self-titled Skull Snaps GSF album which got a 45 release as the flip to one of their Northern soul favourites  "My Hang Up Is You".

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Soul Funk
Format:	Album/ Compilation
Media:	Digital/LP
Label:	Perpetual Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	10/09/2021
Key/BPM:	1A
Value:	£7.99 / £26.16

Johnny Britt Feat. Malcolm Jamal-Warner [2021] - Peace Officer [J-Jams Records]

Johnny Britt is the founder of Improm2 who were signed to Motown's jazz label MoJazz and was also musical director for The Temptations. He co-produced The Temptations miniseries (mentioned on the Wesley Jackson post only last week) and also features in multi-award winning movie "La La Land" in a trumpet solo scene as well as other movies including "Spiderman", "Hidden Figures" and "Dunkirk", which I watched on TV again only the other night.

So, anyway, you get the drift, he's an accomplished artist, born in Louisville, KT, who's released four solo albums to date along with his four with Improm2. If you like your jazz, then you can't go wrong listening to his 2016 "Marvin Meets Miles" album, the title of which should speak for itself.

His latest single is released today (30 Jul 2021) which features actor/musician Malcolm Jamal-Warner. It is a song written from the perspective of a police officer behind the trigger in these times of social and racial unrest.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	7.2
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	J-Jams Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	30/07/2021
Key/BPM:	3A/83
Value:	£1

Adriana Evans [2021] - Looking For Love / I'll Be There [Soul 4 Real #S4R15]

Adriana Evans (real name Adrian Madera) debuted in 1996 with an eponymous album released on Loud Records, which contained the wonderful stepper "Love Is All Around" and spawned another jazzy stepper released as a single "Seein' Is Believing".

Another two tracks from the album have been released for the first time on 45 by Alex Subina's Soul 4 Real label. "Looking For Love" is a mid-tempo tune which could have been recorded by The Emotions in the 70s with some vocal intonations similar to Phyllis Hyman. "I'll Be There" is a sweet soul, jazz tinged, ballad reminiscent of Minnie Riperton. 

After the release of her debut she became disillusioned with the music industry and moved to Brazil and didn't release a follow-up until 2004 with "Nomadic". Since then she has released "Kismet" in 2005, "El Camino", 2007, "Walking With The Night", 2010 and a couple of digital only albums/compilations "Nomadic Plus" in 2016 followed by "Lost And Found" in 2017. She has released only three singles (to my knowledge) since 2010.

She has a rich musical background with her mother being jazz singer Mary Stallings and her Godfather is jazz saxophonist Pharoah Saunders who was a member of John Coltrane's mid 60s group.

Two quality sides available to pre-order (€13 plus postage €2.50 Spain, €6.80 UK/Europe, €10.45 US & rest of world) for release from Soul 4 Real (soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com) 24 Jun 2021.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8.8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Soul 4 Real
Cat No:	S4R15
Year:	24/06/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	€13 (£11.20 approx.)

Blessing Annatoria [2021] - I Smile [Universal-Island]

Zimbabwe born Blessing Annatoria (formerly known as Blessing Chitapa) from Dudley, at 18, was the youngest ever winner of The Voice UK in 2020. She is due to release her debut album 'Count My Blessings' in April 2021 (a gospel album). The first single, 'I Smile', which is an interpretation of Kirk Franklin original, was released 12 Mar 2021.

Details

Rating:	7.8
Genre/Style:	Gospel/Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Universal-Island
Cat No:	None
Year:	12/03/2021
Key:	3B
BPM:	72
Value:	£1

Santana [1992] - Somewhere In Heaven [Polydor #314 513 197-2]

I posted a live version of this by Santana tribute band The Magic Of Santana which featured ex members Alex Ligertwood and Tony Lindsay.  Here's the full 10 minute version by Santana from 1992.

This song defies classification as it has elements of soul, jazz, gospel and rock all rolled into this masterpiece. It featured on the 1992 'Milagor' album and was released as a single which unbelievable failed to chart anywhere in the world! Nearly 30 years on it still sounds amazing.

Live version featuring Alex Ligertwoood (who co-wrote the song with Carlos Santana) on lead vocals.

Here's an earier live version from 1991 featuring Tony Lindsay on lead vocals

Smitty Feat. Frank McComb [2020] - Someday We'll All Be Free (GoGo Version) [Self Released] (Full EP)

Back in April 2020 I came across a version of Donny Hathaway's classic 'Someday We'll All Be Free' by Chance Hayden Feat. Jarrod Lawson and took that opportunity to post the original along with a few cover versions as it was a gesture towards 'UK Lockdown #1'.

Another version was released 17 Nov 2020 by Milton 'Smitty' Smith Feat. Frank McComb on a 7 track EP 'With All My Heart' which includes 3 versions of 'Someday' and 3 versions of Stevie Wonder's 'Overjoyed'.  I've long been an admirer of Frank McComb since his 'Love Stories' debut in 2000 and the unreleased 'Motown Sessions' bootleg album which later got a release as The Truth Vol. 2 in 2006 so this is what drew me to this release.

You can listen to  the Full EP here

Here's a few of Frank McComb live performances from April 2014 in tribute to Donny Hathaway.

'You Were Meant For Me' & 'Someday We'll All Be Free'

The Ghetto